Tag: prospects

Red Sox release another top international signing after five seasons

The Red Sox have released another former top international signing in 23-year-old outfielder Juan Chacon, according to Hunter Noll of Beyond the Monster.

Chacon originally signed with Boston for $900,000 in July 2019, receiving the largest bonus of the club’s 2019-2020 international free agent class. The native Venezuelan had drawn praise as an amateur for his approach, athleticism, and speed, but he was never able to quite put it all together and climb up the prospect rankings as a member of the Red Sox organization.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic wiping out the 2020 minor league season, Chacon did not officially make his professional debut until 2021. He played in both the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues before reaching Low-A Salem in August 2022. A left hamate injury that required surgery the following July limited him to just 57 games with Boston’s Carolina League affiliate in 2023.

Chacon made the jump to High-A Greenville in 2024 but struggled to a .203/.269/.302 line with 18 doubles, three triples, two home runs, 17 RBIs, 37 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 25 walks, and 109 strikeouts in a career-high 84 games (334 plate appearances). The right-handed hitter returned to the Drive for the start of the 2025 campaign before receiving a promotion to Double-A Portland in late April. From there, he batted .229/.311/.298 with seven doubles, one triple, 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored, three stolen bases, 14 walks, and 41 strikeouts in 51 games (151 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs while frequently moving to and from the development list.

Overall, Chacon is a lifetime .233/.330/.318 hitter with 47 doubles, 12 triples, four home runs, 82 RBIs, 147 runs scored, 65 stolen bases, 126 walks, and 299 strikeouts over 290 career minor league games (1,130 plate appearances) across five levels. Defensively, the 6-foot-1, 171-pounder (listed height and weight) has experience at all three outfield spots. But between Greenville and Portland last year, he was used exclusively at the corners, making 35 starts in left and eight in right, where he recorded his lone outfield assist.

Chacon, who does not turn 24 until December, was slated to reach minor league free agency at the end of the 2026 season but will now do so sooner than initially anticipated. Given his speed and defensive abilities, it will be worthwhile to see if Chacon draws interest from other teams in need of upper-minors outfield depth in the coming weeks.

In addition to releasing Chacon, Noll noted that the Red Sox also parted ways with 21-year-old infielder Yohander Linarez, who had been in the organization since signing for $10,000 as an international free agent out of Venezuela in January 2022.

(Picture of Juan Chacon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox release former top international signing after four seasons

The Red Sox released six minor leaguers on Thursday, including one of their former top international signings.

As noted by SoxProspects.com’s Andrew Parker, Boston cut ties with 21-year-old infielder Fraymi De Leon, who received the largest bonus ($1.2 million) of the club’s 2022 international signing class.

At the time of his signing in January 2022, De Leon was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 50 international prospect in his class. As an amateur, the Dominican native drew rave reviews for his defense, arm strength, and speed, but he was never able to put it all together at the plate as a member of the Red Sox organization.

After spending his first two professional seasons in the rookie-level Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues, De Leon made stops at Low-A Salem, High-A Greenville, and Double-A Portland in each of the last two campaigns. In a career-high 88 games between the three affiliates last year, the switch-hitter batted just .190/.255/.245 with 10 doubles, one triple, one home run, 27 RBIs, 38 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 21 walks, and 85 strikeouts over 307 plate appearances.

Overall, De Leon is a lifetime .210/.310/.264 hitter with 21 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 76 RBIs, 127 runs scored, 74 stolen bases, 91 walks, and 246 strikeouts in 253 career minor league games (903 plate appearances) across five levels. Defensively, the versatile 5-foot-10, 155-pounder (listed height and weight) has seen playing time at every position besides catcher and first base. Last season alone, he made 33 starts at second base, 24 starts at third base, 22 starts at shortstop, and four starts in left field.

Though he was never viewed among Boston’s premier prospects, SoxProspects.com does take note of the fact that the organization appeared to have respected De Leon’s “defensive skills enough to regularly call him up to cover for injured players at higher levels.”

It will now be interesting to see if De Leon, who does not turn 22 until September, can potentially latch on with another team before the 2026 season begins in the coming weeks. An organization that values his defensive versatility enough may be willing to give him another chance.

In addition to De Leon, the Red Sox also released infielders Tyler Miller and Efren Teran, outfielders Yan Cruz and Jesus Lugo, and left-hander Noah Dean on Thursday.

(Picture of Fraymi De Leon: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Why Red Sox catching prospect Gerardo Rodriguez is a name to watch in 2026

The Red Sox undoubtedly placed an emphasis on reinforcing their lower-minors catching depth over the winter. They addressed this area of need by acquiring the likes of Adonys Guzman, Ronny Hernandez, and Luke Heyman in trades with the Pirates, White Sox, and Mariners.

While Guzman, Hernandez, and Heyman represent intriguing external additions, the Red Sox are not without at least a few in-house catching prospects who may be worth keeping an eye on. One such name to watch is Gerardo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, who turned 20 in December, is coming off a productive 2025 season that began with him repeating the rookie-level Florida Complex League. In 41 games for the FCL Red Sox, the right-handed hitter batted .279/.329/.383 with a team-high 16 doubles and 32 RBIs, 17 runs scored, seven stolen bases, 10 walks, and 23 strikeouts over 170 plate appearances.

Following the conclusion of the FCL season, Rodriguez was promoted to Low-A Salem (where he played seven games in 2024) in early August. This time around, Rodriguez got more run and ended his year on a high note by slashing .297/.372/.500 with four doubles, one triple, three home runs, 11 RBIs, nine runs scored, one stolen base, nine walks, and 13 strikeouts in 22 games (86 plate appearances) for Boston’s Carolina League affiliate.

Overall, Rodriguez slashed .285/.344/.421 with 20 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 43 RBIs, 26 runs scored, eight stolen bases, 19 walks, and 36 strikeouts in 69 games (256 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem last year. That includes a .313/.395/.469 line against lefties and a .281/.335/.413 line against righties.

Among 43 Red Sox minor leaguers who made at least 250 trips to the plate in 2025, Rodriguez ranked third in strikeout rate (14.1%), fourth in batting average, sixth in wOBA (.370), ninth in slugging percentage and OPS (.765), 13th in on-base percentage and wRC+ (110), 16th in swinging-strike rate (10.4%), and 18th in isolated power (.136), per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Rodriguez unsurprisingly saw most of his playing time last year come at catcher. Between his stops in the FCL and Salem, the 5-foot-10, 177-pound (listed height and weight) backstop logged 327 1/3 innings behind the plate and threw out 46 of 135 (34.1%) possible base stealers. He also made 10 starts at first base, where he committed one error in 55 defensive chances, and 15 starts at DH.

A native of Venezuela, Rodriguez originally signed with the Red Sox for $50,000 as an international free agent in January 2023. He has not received much buzz to this point, but has made strides by adding strength and bat speed to his profile. Baseball America ranks him as Boston’s No. 25 prospect, while MLB Pipeline has him two spots lower at No. 27.

“He’s squat and stocky, yet moves in surprisingly quick bursts on both sides of the ball after making sizable bat speed gains with his level swing,” Rodriguez’s Baseball America scouting report reads. “Though he chases breaking balls off the plate, his 19% whiff rate and 14% in-zone whiff rate were both well above-average for his level and yielded solid contact. He generated a 102.6 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and 110.8 mph max. Rodriguez improved his ball flight in 2025, trading grounders for more liners and flyballs, which suggests an atypically solid hit tool for a catcher with fringy power. Defensively, his strong framing and blocking data suggest average potential behind the plate.”

MLB Pipeline adds: “Rodriguez will be more effective at the plate as he becomes more selective. He doesn’t strike out much, but chases more pitches than he should, lowering his quality of contact. He not only added muscle but also improved his ability to drive balls in the air, giving him 12-15 homer potential.”

Rodriguez was one of three catchers (alongside Nate Baez and Franklin Primera) named to the Red Sox’ Spring Breakout roster ahead of Friday night’s showcase against prospects from the Orioles organization in Sarasota, Fla. Looking a little further ahead, Rodriguez could very well make the jump to High-A Greenville to open his 2026 campaign next month.

(Picture of Gerardo Rodriguez: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Red Sox’ Brooks Brannon undergoes surgery for broken hamate bone

Red Sox catching/first base prospect Brooks Brannon recently underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand, as noted by WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford.

Brannon injured the hand on a swing during spring workouts, according to a team source. It is unclear exactly how much time the 21-year-old will miss, though he will undoubtedly be sidelined for at least the first several weeks of the 2026 season.

Brannon, who turns 22 in May, is currently ranked as Boston’s No. 46 prospect by SoxProspects.com. The Randleman (N.C.) High School product was originally selected by the Red Sox in the ninth round (279th overall) of the 2022 draft. He forwent his commitment to North Carolina by signing for a well-over-slot $712,500, but has struggled to stay on the field consistently since going pro.

Due to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, for instance, Brannon was limited to just 62 games with Low-A Salem in 2024. He did, however, end that year on a high note, as he made up for lost time by earning All-Star honors in the Arizona Fall League. Following a healthy offseason and spring, he broke camp with High-A Greenville last April.

Brannon overcame a slow start to his 2025 campaign and batted .270/.313/.398 with eight doubles, two triples, five home runs, 31 RBIs, 32 runs scored, three stolen bases, 12 walks, and 63 strikeouts in 55 games (224 plate appearances) for Greenville before being promoted to Double-A Portland in late June. The right-handed-hitting slugger struggled out of the gate following the move, but settled in by slashing .224/.302/.385 with eight doubles, five home runs, 16 RBIs, 20 runs scored, one stolen base, 15 walks, and 54 strikeouts in 38 games (159 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs.

Altogether, Brannon hit .251/.308/.393 with 16 doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 47 RBIs, 52 runs scored, four stolen bases, 27 walks, and 117 strikeouts in a career-high 93 games (383 plate appearances) between Greenville and Portland. That includes a .200/.210/.275 line against lefties and a far more favorable .266/.334/.427 line against righties.

Among 30 Red Sox minor leaguers who, regardless of level, made at least 350 trips to the plate last year, Brannon ranked eighth in line-drive rate (25.7%), 12th in batting average and slugging percentage, 13th in isolated power (.141), and 15th in wRC+ (102). At the same time, he ranked 27th in strikeout rate (30.5%) and walk rate (7%) and 28th in swinging-strike rate (16.3%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Brannon saw playing time at both catcher and first base at his stops in Greenville and Portland. In 49 starts behind the plate, the hulking 5-foot-11, 210-pound (listed weight, appears to have bulked up over the winter) backstop allowed five passed balls and threw out 21 of 120 possible base stealers. In 17 starts at first, he committed just two errors in 132 chances. He also made 27 starts at DH.

Brannon was projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2026 season, but will now likely head to the injured list in the coming days or weeks. With an uncertain immediate future, it feels worth mentioning that Brannon can become Rule 5-eligible for the first time in his career this winter if he is not added to Boston’s 40-man roster by the November protection deadline.

(Picture of Brooks Brannon: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did switch-hitting Red Sox OF prospect Anderson Fermin fare in 2025?

Though his performance may have been overshadowed by the likes of fellow 2024 international signees Justin Gonzales and Enddy Azocar, Red Sox outfield prospect Anderson Fermin undoubtedly impressed in his stateside debut last year.

Signed for $400,000 out of the Dominican Republic in January 2024, Fermin earned Dominican Summer League All-Star honors in his first taste of pro ball. Despite that nod, the Puerto Plata native entered 2025 with very little fanfare as he arrived in Fort Myers in early March for his first spring training in the United States.

Fermin remained in Fort Myers for extended spring training and then the start of the Florida Complex League season in early May. The switch-hitting speedster batted .283/.454/.377 with seven doubles, three triples, 14 RBIs, 32 runs scored, 25 stolen bases, 42 walks, and 35 strikeouts in 48 games (185 plate appearances) for the rookie-level FCL Red Sox.

The Florida Complex League regular season ended on July 24, and Fermin was ultimately recognized as a 2025 FCL All-Star. His year, however, did not end there. Fermin was promoted to Low-A Salem in late August and closed out his age-18 campaign by going 1-for-25 (.040) with one RBI, four runs scored, three stolen bases, eight walks, and 12 strikeouts in an eight-game cameo with the Red Sox’ Carolina League affiliate.

Altogether, Fermin slashed .245/.427/.325 with seven doubles, three triples, 15 RBIs, 36 runs scored, 28 stolen bases (in 34 attempts), 50 walks, and 47 strikeouts in 56 total games (220 plate appearances) between the FCL and Salem last season. That includes a .190/.393/.190 line against left-handed pitching and a .254/.432/.345 line against right-handed pitching.

Fermin, who turned 19 in September, was one of nine teenage position players to suit up for Salem in 2025. Among 47 Red Sox minor leaguers who, regardless of level, made at least 220 trips to the plate last year, Fermin ranked first in on-base percentage and speed score (8.7), second in walk rate (22.7 percent) and wOBA (.396), seventh in wRC+ (122), 13th in OPS, 19th in strikeout rate (21.4 percent), 20th in swinging-strike rate (11.3 percent), and 22nd in batting average, per FanGraphs.

On the other side of the ball, Fermin was originally scouted as a shortstop but made the transition to outfield upon entering the pro ranks. Between his stops in the FCL and Salem last season, the athletic 5-foot-11, 174-pounder made 26 starts in center, 13 starts in right, and 13 starts in left, committing two errors and recording two assists in 83 total defensive chances. He also made four starts at DH.

Still in search of his first professional home run, Fermin is currently ranked as Boston’s No. 56 prospect by SoxProspects.com, which notes that he “needs to get significantly stronger” if he wants to tap into his power. It also describes him as a “high-variance prospect due to lack of physicality, but has some interesting tools that could continue to improve as he physically matures.”

Barring a trade or other surprise move, Fermin is expected to return to Salem for the start of the 2026 minor league season. With that being said, it would not be terribly surprising to see him work his way to High-A Greenville before long.

(Picture of Anderson Fermin: Bryan Green/Flickr)

Which prospect did Red Sox acquire from White Sox for Jordan Hicks, David Sandlin?

The Red Sox swung a creative, financially motivated trade with the White Sox on Sunday that netted them salary relief, roster flexibility, and a new pitching prospect.

In exchange for right-handers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, along with $8 million in cash considerations and two players to be named later, Boston acquired minor league righty Gage Ziehl and one player to be named later from Chicago.

By dealing Hicks (who came over from the Giants as part of the blockbuster Rafael Devers trade last June) and Sandlin (an electrifying prospect who was added to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 Draft protection purposes in November), the Red Sox cleared two 40-man spots on Sunday, potentially paving the way for additional moves to be made more easily in the coming weeks.

Ziehl was originally selected by the Yankees in the fourth round (119th overall) of the 2024 draft out of Miami. The 22-year-old received an above-slot $637,000 signing bonus but did not make his professional debut until last April. He split the first four months of the 2025 season between New York’s Low-A, High-A, and Double-A affiliates before being dealt to the White Sox for outfielder Austin Slater on July 30.

From there, Ziehl posted a 4.01 ERA with 20 strikeouts to five walks in six starts (24 2/3 innings) for Chicago’s High-A affiliate to end the season. He finished the year having forged a 4.12 ERA (3.39 FIP) with 90 strikeouts to 19 walks in 22 total outings (21 starts) spanning 107 innings between Low-A (74 1/3 innings), High-A (28 2/3 innings), and Double-A (4 innings). Altogether, opposing hitters batted .274 against him.

Ziehl was ranked by Baseball America as the White Sox’ No. 21 prospect at the time of Sunday’s trade. The 6-foot, 223-pound hurler does not throw particularly hard but does know how to control and command the strike zone. He features a wide pitch mix that includes a 92 mph fastball that topped out at 95 mph last year, a mid-80s sweeper, an upper-80s cutter, and a scarcely-used 80 mph curveball.

Barring another move, Ziehl — who turns 23 in May — is likely to open the 2026 season in Double-A Portland’s starting rotation. He is not eligible for the Rule 5 Draft until 2027.

 (Picture of Gage Ziehl: Samuel Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

How did speedy Red Sox OF prospect Miguel Bleis fare in 2025?

Red Sox prospect Miguel Bleis is coming off a season in which he was named the organization’s Minor League Baserunner of the Year. This article will examine how the speedy outfielder fared on the 2025 campaign as a whole.

Due to a quad injury suffered late in spring training, Bleis did not make his season debut until High-A Greenville’s fifth game of the season on April 9. The 21-year-old then spent the better part of the next five months with the Drive, batting .226/.314/.422 with 15 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 41 RBIs, 48 runs scored, 20 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 75 strikeouts over 77 games (325 plate appearances). He was promoted to Double-A Portland on August 1.

Bleis’ promotion came one day after the Red Sox traded fellow outfielders James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard to the Dodgers for starter Dustin May. Though Bleis provided the Sea Dogs with much-needed outfield depth, the right-handed hitter struggled offensively down the stretch, slashing just .209/.263/.291 with six doubles, one home run, 10 RBIs, 10 runs scored, seven stolen bases, six walks, and 31 strikeouts in 30 games (118 plate appearances) to close out his season.

Altogether, Bleis slashed .220/.300/.385 (100 wRC+) with 21 doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 51 RBIs, 58 runs scored, 27 stolen bases (in 33 attempts), 41 walks, and 106 strikeouts in a career-high 107 games (443 plate appearances) between Greenville and Portland. That includes a .169/.267/.292 line against lefties and a .237/.310/.412 line against righties.

As The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier noted in September, Bleis was the only Red Sox minor leaguer to hit 10-plus homers and steal 20-plus bases. Additionally, among the 19 in the system who made at least 400 trips to the plate last year, Bleis ranked first in fly ball rate (44.7%) and pull rate (62.4%), second in infield fly ball rate (36.5 percent), third in weighted stolen base runs (1.6), fifth in speed score (6.2), seventh in isolated power (.164), and ninth in walk rate (9.3%), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Bleis saw playing time at all three outfield positions between his stops in Greenville and Portland last season. The athletic 6-foot-2, 205-pounder logged 480 innings in right, 347 2/3 innings in center, and (for the first time in his career) 34 2/3 innings in left, committing four errors and recording 10 assists in 210 total chances. He also made seven starts at DH.

Bleis, who turns 22 in March, received the largest bonus ($1.5 million) of any international free agent the Red Sox signed in 2021. The Dominican native burst onto the scene in 2022 by lighting up the rookie-level Florida Complex League and entered 2023 as a consensus top-100 prospect. That May, however, Bleis suffered a left shoulder subluxation that required season-ending surgery. Since then, he has shown flashes of his tantalizing potential, but has mostly been unable to put it all together on a consistent basis for an extended period.

Baseball America currently ranks Bleis as Boston’s No. 17 prospect. MLB Pipeline has him slightly higher at No. 13. Both outlets acknowledge that his power, speed, fielding, and arm strength tools grade within the 50-60 range on the 20-80 scouting scale, though his hit tool lags behind at 30-40.

After being left off the Red Sox’ 40-man roster in November, Bleis went unselected in December’s Rule 5 Draft. Barring a trade or other surprise move, he is projected to return to Portland for the start of his age-22 season in April. If he can adjust his approach at the plate while maintaining his power, it would not be surprising to see Bleis reach Triple-A Worcester before the end of the year.

(Picture of Miguel Bleis: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did power-hitting Red Sox OF prospect Justin Gonzales fare in 2025?

After playing a key role in winning a Dominican Summer League championship and being named the organization’s 2024 Latin Program Position Player of the Year in his professional debut, Red Sox outfield prospect Justin Gonzales took another step forward in 2025.

Gonzales, originally signed for $250,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in January 2024, arrived in Fort Myers for his first spring training in the United States last March. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, the then-18-year-old quite literally stood out on the backfields of the Fenway South complex.

Though he did not see any action in the Grapefruit League as a big league call-up, Gonzales suited up for the Red Sox in both the Spring Breakout and Futures at Fenway South prospect showcases on March 13 and 14, respectively. In the latter, the young slugger put his power on full display by crushing a no-doubt home run that left his bat at 110.4 mph over the faux Green Monster at JetBlue Park.

In the weeks that followed, Gonzales remained in Fort Myers for extended spring training and technically began his season in the rookie-level Florida Complex League. After just one game with the FCL Red Sox (in which he went 0-for-4 with an RBI and two strikeouts), Gonzales was promoted to Low-A Salem on May 6 and immediately became one of the youngest players in the Carolina League.

Given his youth, it should come as little surprise that Gonzales initially struggled while transitioning to full-season ball. Despite those early difficulties, the right-handed hitter broke through and emerged as one of Salem’s top offensive performers. He earned Carolina League All-Star honors as a result of batting .298/.381/.423 with 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 27 RBIs, 45 runs scored, 11 stolen bases, 35 walks, and 52 strikeouts in 81 games (357 plate appearances) for Boston’s Low-A affiliate before being promoted to High-A Greenville in late August.

From there, Gonzales closed out his season by going 8-for-43 (.186) in an 11-game cameo with the Drive. Overall, he slashed .281/.363/.390 with 23 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 32 RBIs, 50 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 39 walks, and 65 strikeouts in 93 total games (410 plate appearances) between the FCL, Salem, and Greenville. That includes a .309/.420/.500 line against lefties and a .275/.350/.364 line against righties.

Among 19 Red Sox minor leaguers who made at least 400 trips to the plate in 2025, Gonzales (the youngest to reach that threshold) ranked second in batting average, wOBA (.370), and wRC+ (118), third in on-base percentage and strikeout rate (15.9%), fifth in OPS (.753), eighth in slugging percentage and walk rate (9.5%), and ninth in swinging-strike rate (11.7%), per FanGraphs. On the flip side, however, he posted the highest groundball rate (57.4%) in the group.

Defensively, Gonzales saw playing time at all three outfield spots between his stops in the FCL, Salem, and Greenville last season. The hulking outfielder logged 265 1/3 innings in right, 233 1/3 innings in center, and 145 2/3 innings in left, committing four errors and recording two assists in 151 total chances. He also made 16 starts at DH and has prior experience at first base.

Gonzales, who turned 19 in December, is ranked as the Red Sox’ No. 7 prospect by Baseball America and No. 5 by MLB Pipeline. Both outlets consider his power (55-60 on the 20-80 scouting scale) and outfield arm strength (60-70) among the best-graded tools in Boston’s farm system.

As highlighted in his Baseball America scouting report, Gonzales frequently generated exit velocities exceeding 100 mph last season, but nearly 60% of his contact came on the ground. If he can tweak his bat path to lift the ball more consistently — thereby tapping into his elite power potential — he could become “a monster” at the plate moving forward.

On that note, Gonzales is expected to return to Greenville for the start of the 2026 season. Such swing adjustments would likely work in his favor in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League.

(Picture of Justin Gonzales: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Why Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera could break out in 2026

At this time last year, Red Sox pitching prospect Juan Valera appeared primed to take another step forward in 2025.

Valera, originally signed for $45,000 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in April 2023, put himself on the map in his stateside debut two seasons ago. The young right-hander forged a 1.99 ERA with 68 strikeouts to 28 walks in 18 outings (16 starts) spanning 63 1/3 innings between the rookie-level Florida Complex League and Low-A Salem. He held opposing hitters to a .125 batting average en route to being named an FCL All-Star and SoxProspects.com’s Pitcher of the Year.

Looking to build off significant momentum gained in 2024, Valera came into camp last spring stronger on both a physical and mental level, according to Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham. Valera stood out by displaying an uptick in velocity and a sharper command of his secondaries on the backfields in Fort Myers. As a result, he was rewarded with an aggressive season-opening assignment to High-A Greenville.

When Greenville’s season began in early April, Valera was still a month-plus out from his 19th birthday, making him one of the youngest players at the High-A level. With just 23 career innings above rookie ball to that point, Valera unsurprisingly got off to a shaky start. In his first eight starts for the Drive, the righty posted a 5.40 ERA with 37 strikeouts to nine walks over 33 1/3 innings in which opponents batted .284 against him.

After turning 19 on May 18 and surrendering three runs (two earned) in 3 1/3 frames against Bowling Green a week later, Valera was placed on the injured list due to elbow soreness on May 27 and was not activated until late August. He then made two more (short) starts for Greenville before the season ended, allowing three earned runs on five hits, one walk, and nine strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of work.

Altogether, Valera pitched to a 5.45 ERA (3.97 FIP) with 46 strikeouts to 10 walks in 10 starts (38 innings) for Greenville in 2025. Opponents batted .281 against him overall. That includes a .341 average against left-handed hitters and a .206 average against right-handed hitters.

Among 156 minor leaguers who threw at least 35 innings in the hitter-friendly South Atlantic League last year, Valera ranked 19th in xFIP (3.00), 23rd in walk rate (6%), 28th in walks per nine innings (2.37), 40th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.89), 52nd in strikeout rate (27.5%), and 62nd in swinging-strike rate (13.2%), per FanGraphs.

Both Baseball America and SoxProspects.com currently rank Valera as Boston’s No. 5 prospect; MLB Pipeline has him slightly lower at No. 12. Earlier this month, SoxProspects.com’s director of scouting Ian Cundall (writing for Baseball America) identified Valera as a potential breakout pitching prospect within the Red Sox system based on his under-the-hood numbers.

“Valera’s four-pitch mix brings a combination of power and surprising control, as he has three pitches with a strike rate over 65% and an in-zone rate over 50%,” Cundall wrote of the 6-foot-3, 205-pound hurler. “He can run his fastball up to 100 mph, but the pitch plays below its velocity due to its cut-over-ride shape. Even still, the power on it makes it tough on hitters, and it had a slightly above-average whiff rate in 2025.

“Valera’s feel for spin is advanced for his age,” added Cundall. “While his most-used secondary is his slider, his best is his sweeper. His sweeper is one of the hardest in the minors, averaging just under 87 mph with a spin rate over 2,700 rpm. It had a 69% strike rate and 43% whiff rate in 2025, making for one of the best combinations of those two stats in all of MiLB for sweepers as hard as his.”

Barring a trade or other surprise, Valera is likely to return to Greenville out of spring training for the start of his age-20 season. If he can stay healthy and further refine his arsenal, it would not be surprising to see him move up to Double-A Portland — and perhaps even Triple-A Worcester — before the 2026 campaign draws to a close.

(Picture of Juan Valera: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox’ Mikey Romero ranked No. 5 third base prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline

Earlier this week, MLB Pipeline ranked Red Sox minor league infielder Mikey Romero as one of the top 10 third base prospects in baseball heading into the 2026 season.

Romero slotted in at No. 5 on MLB Pipeline’s list behind the Brewers’ Andrew Fischer, the Mets’ Jacob Reimer, the Tigers’ Hao-Yu Lee, and the Athletics’ Tommy White. He placed ahead of the Diamondbacks’ LuJames Groover, the Blue Jays’ Juan Sanchez, the Dodgers’ Chase Harlan, the Brewers’ Brock Wilken, and the Giants’ Parks Harber.

Romero, who turned 22 last Monday, is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as Boston’s No. 6 prospect. The left-handed hitter is coming off a solid season in which he batted .245/.300/.452 with 33 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs, 76 RBIs, 61 runs scored, five stolen bases, 34 walks, and 132 strikeouts in 111 games (489 plate appearances) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. He led the organization in doubles, extra-base hits (54), and RBIs.

After drawing praise from Red Sox manager Alex Cora in spring training, Romero returned to Portland (where he got into 16 games to end a bounceback 2024 season) for the start of the 2025 campaign. Despite missing most of June with arm fatigue, he still hit .254/.315/.440 with 18 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, 40 RBIs, 40 runs scored, four stolen bases, 23 walks, and 74 strikeouts in 66 games (297 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs before receiving a promotion to Worcester in early August.

Reaching the Triple-A level for the first time, Romero initially struggled out of the gate but powered his way through it by slashing .232/.276/.469 with 15 doubles, nine home runs, 36 RBIs, 21 runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 58 strikeouts in 45 games (192 plate appearances) for the WooSox to close out his season. That includes a .214/.258/.500 line against lefties and a .235/.280/.463 line against righties.

While an aggressive approach led to his strikeout and walk rates going in the wrong direction, Romero made plenty of hard contact in his first stint with the WooSox. Among Triple-A hitters who saw at least 700 pitches last year, Romero ranked in the 95th percentile in barrel rate (14 percent), the 92nd percentile in average exit velocity (91.2 mph), the 89th percentile in hard-hit rate (47.1 percent), and the 85th percentile in expected slugging percentage (.443), per Prospect Savant.

On the other side of the ball, Romero saw playing time at every infield position besides first base between his stops in Portland and Worcester last season. By the time he joined the WooSox in August, however, he had moved off shortstop and was used strictly at either second or third base. At the keystone, he logged 164 innings and committed four errors in 73 chances. At the hot corner, he logged 216 innings and committed two errors in 49 chances.

Though he is listed at 6-feet and 175 pounds, Romero is now up to at least 210 pounds, adding considerable strength over the last two years following a 2023 that was marred by a series of back injuries, including a stress fracture. This winter, he took part in Trevor Story’s camp for teammates in the Dallas area and was in attendance for the Red Sox’ rookie development program in Boston. Sandwiched in between that was an appearance at Fenway Fest on January 10.

Amidst a busy offseason, Romero spoke to reporters (including Bill Ballou of The Worcester Guardian and Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe) at Fenway Park last week about what specific areas of improvement he has focused on.

“The Red Sox do a good job of letting us know what we’ve got to be better at,” Romero said. “For me, it’s moving better laterally on defense, more arm strength. I take pride in my defense. I’m doing everything I can to know that, whatever pitcher is on the mound, they know that if the ball is hit to me, it’s an out.”

Romero, who was originally selected with the 22nd overall pick in the 2022 draft out of Orange (Calif.) Lutheran High School and then forwent his commitment to LSU by signing with the Red Sox for an under-slot $2.3 million, has put himself in a prime position to make his major league debut at some point in 2026. That is noteworthy when considering that he can become Rule-5 eligible for the first time later this year if he has not already been added to the 40-man roster by season’s end.

Given his emergence and sudden proximity to the big leagues, it would not be terribly surprising if Romero received his first non-roster invite to Red Sox spring training before camp begins in Fort Myers next month. He could join fellow infielder and rookie development program attendee Franklin Arias in that regard.

(Picture of Mikey Romero courtesy of the Boston Red Sox)